Here’s a question to consider: Why don’t people finish goals that are important to them?

There are probably many answers to that question, but one obvious reason is that they simply get tired and don’t see a lot of progress toward the goal.

Take writing a book, for example. If you’re a perfectionist, writing a book can take a long time because you’re trying to both write and edit as you go. It’s easy to get discouraged and just quit.

I know because it’s happened to me. Once I spent a couple of years working on a book, and in the process compiled literally 150 pages of notes… yet never finished the book.

It’s easy to do when you’re focused on trying to make it perfect.

Instead, we should take John Steinbeck’s advice about first drafts. He said, “Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on.”

My advice is to take Steinbeck at his word. Once you have outlined your book, try to get the first draft done as fast as possible. This will give you incredible momentum because it’s easier to work on a book that is complete.

You will have a sense of accomplishment and motivation because you have something whole you can work with. You can also see the big picture of the book.

Today’s Challenge: Whatever project you’re working on, try to get a first draft done as fast as possible. Don’t overthink it—just do it.

The post The Productive Writer: Get the First Draft Done Fast appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Many people have an ideal of sitting down at a computer and just letting the words flow out perfectly. The heavens open up, birds sing outside, and a ray of light descends from above as they post their work, email it, or send it off to the editor.

That, however, is a fantasy. It’s not how good writing actually gets done.

Writing is like mowing your lawn with a push mower. It’s a lot of manual labor. Sometimes it’s pretty monotonous. You have to go back and get the spots you missed. You get pretty messy in the process.

While you’re mowing the lawn, you get sweaty and dirty and you can’t see the big picture. But when you’re done, you can stand back and look at your perfectly mowed lawn and appreciate all your hard work.

Good writing happens the same way. It is created through hard work, persistence, multiple drafts, editing, and finishing what you started. This is how professionals work, and it’s how you must work, too.

Question: Do you want to write badly enough that you are willing to endure the messy part of writing in order to get to that wonderful final draft?

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Do you struggle with being a perfectionist? If so, let’s talk about a strategy that can help you overcome it immediately.

But first, let’s deal with this question: what is perfectionism?

Perfectionism is the tendency to get paralyzed by the idea that your work is never good enough. Perfectionists imagine there is a standard out there and they can never reach it. They have convinced themselves that they will be an utter failure unless they reach that impossible standard. Therefore, they never take action and instead live in a perpetual state of frustration.

Now, for the strategy to help you overcome perfectionism.

If you think of yourself as a perfectionist, you are always shooting for “A-level” work. The problem is that your definition of an “A” is so far above everyone else’s that it’s unreachable.

They key is to have more realistic standards. You need to adjust your standard of perfectionism so that you are shooting for “B-level” work, maybe a “B+” at best. You may think of this as lowering your standards, but remember that your standards are so unrealistically elevated, that your B is everyone else’s A.

So make it your goal to do B-level writing. Most of us don’t have the capacity to be objective about our work anyway, so you must trust that your B is truly an A in everyone else’s eyes.

When you shoot for a B, you can get work done much more quickly, move on, and still be considered excellent in everyone else’s eyes. Plus, you can always improve your writing in the editing process.

Many a great writer has been sidelined because their standards were so high, they never finished that first draft. Don’t let that happen to you.

Question: How could adopting a strategy of doing “B-level” work help you get your first drafts done?

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Have you ever seen someone make pottery? It’s actually quite fascinating. It’s fun to watch them at work, and it’s often breathtaking to see the beautiful pots, vases, bowls, and other works of art they create with their bare hands.

But what comes before the beautiful, finished product? You guessed it—putting a messy lump of clay on the table and getting their hands dirty. The clay is not formed. It’s just a plain, old, unformed lump of clay. But the potter shapes it into something useful and eye-catching.

The same is true for you as a writer. You have to put some clay on the table. You have to start with a messy draft. If you don’t, you won’t have anything to work with. Get that draft done as fast as possible, so you can start working with it.

Remember, the mess always comes before the finished product. Don’t be afraid to get messy. The messy potter’s wheel is where all good writing begins.

Daily Question: Are you willing to get messy with your first draft? Do you think perfectionism sometimes prevents us from moving ahead with our writing?

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When you read great writing, it has a magical quality. Those words can transport you to faraway worlds or help you see things you never saw before. Great writing can also help you learn something that will change your life. 

But where does great writing come from? And more importantly, how can we create it? 

In order to come into existence, great writing must pass through two realms: the heart and the head. Writing is first created in the heart, then polished and edited in your head. You might also call this right brain and left brain. 

William Wordsworth wrote, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”  

In other words, writing has to begin with something you want to say, something you feel, or a story you want to tell. Those are the realms of the heart. 

This is why it is important to get a first draft down as soon as possible. The first draft is a heart draft. Don’t stop, don’t edit, don’t overthink it. Just write it down. 

When it is done, use your head to go back, edit, polish, and rewrite. 

The head and heart are both necessary. But it all begins with your heart, so don’t be afraid to let it show through. 

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